1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display system, an information processing apparatus, and an image display method.
2. Description of the Related Art
So-called spherical images or omnidirectional images that are 360-degree panoramic images of a scene are known (hereinafter simply referred to as “omnidirectional image”). By using a dedicated imaging apparatus having a special optical system, a user may be able to capture an omnidirectional image in one shot. A user can also obtain an omnidirectional image using a normal imaging apparatus that captures a rectangular image by stitching together a plurality of images. As described above, an omnidirectional image is a 360-degree image with substantially no blind angle, and a user may selectively display/view a given region (angle) of the omnidirectional image on a display or the like, for example.
Also, if an omnidirectional image is provided on the Internet or the like, the user can download and view the omnidirectional image using a PC (Personal Computer), for example. However, the data size of an omnidirectional image tends to be rather large because it captures a 360-degree field of view. Thus, when a user wishes to view an omnidirectional image via the Internet, for example, it may take some time to download the omnidirectional image such that the waiting time required for displaying the omnidirectional image tends to be long.
A technique for reducing the download time for downloading image data is known that involves having a server deliver progressive images to a terminal or the like (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-022488). More specifically, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-022488 describes a server that starts by transmitting a low-resolution image with a small data size and progressively transmits higher-resolution images with a larger data size.
However, in the technique that involves having the server transmit progressive images, the image initially displayed by the user on the PC is a low-resolution image, and the user still has to wait for a long time before a suitable high-resolution image is displayed. Thus, for example, because a low-resolution image is initially presented to the user, the user may not form a good impression on the website from which the image is downloaded, or the user may fall under the misconception that the image quality of the actual image provided by the website is a low-quality image.